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Sports Clubs & Gyms

Are you or your sports club/oganisation prepared and equipped to deal with an emergency both on or off the field?  Remember spectators can become ill or get injured too!

There have been a number of tragic losses, in GAA, rugby league, rugby union, football - some from head injuries and others from sudden cardiac death (SCD). 

 

During sudden cardiac arrest the heart abruptly stops pumping usually due to an electrical malfunction called ventricular fibrillation. The victim collapses, stops breathing and quickly loses consciousness due to a lack of blood flow and oxygen to the brain. Death quickly ensues unless a normal heart rhythm can be restored within a few minutes. Once ventricular fibrillation has developed, time is the most crucial factor that determines the chances of successful resuscitation.

The only effective treatment for ventricular fibrillation is defibrillation, a term used to describe the application of a high energy electric shock to the chest of the victim in an attempt to restart the heart. Unfortunately, most people in the UK and Ireland live and work in places where it takes considerably more than 5 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. Add to this the time required to call for help, to reach the individual, to assess the situation and deliver the first shock, and it soon becomes clear why today only approx. 10% of victims survive sudden cardiac arrest outside hospital. During ventricular fibrillation, every minute counts. It has been estimated that for every minute that goes by without defibrillation, the chance of survival decreases by about 10%.

Our course will include-

  • Role of the First Aider – Communication and casualty care, your first aid kit.

  • Administer First Aid to a Casualty – Primary survey, dealing with an unconscious casualty, CPR, use of Defibrillator, head injury, seizure, asthma, anaphylaxis, bleeding, fractures and sprains, soft tissue injury.

 

It is expected that we protect our players/team members with mouth guards, shin pads.....have you provided them with trained first aiders and defibrillators?

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